Congress approves bill to end delays in flights

A United Airlines jet departs in view of the air traffic control tower at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport Tuesday, April 23, 2013, in Seattle. A day after flight delays plagued much of the U.S., air travel is smoother Tuesday. But the government is warning passengers that the situation can change by the hour as it runs the nation's air traffic control system with a smaller staff. Airlines and members of Congress urged the Federal Aviation Administration to find other ways to make mandatory budget cuts besides furloughing controllers. While delays haven't been terrible yet, the airlines are worried about the long-term impact late flights will have on their budgets and on fliers. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson)

A United Airlines jet departs in view of the air traffic control tower at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport Tuesday, April 23, 2013, in Seattle. A day after flight delays plagued much of the U.S., air travel is smoother Tuesday. But the government is warning passengers that the situation can change by the hour as it runs the nation's air traffic control system with a smaller staff. Airlines and members of Congress urged the Federal Aviation Administration to find other ways to make mandatory budget cuts besides furloughing controllers. While delays haven't been terrible yet, the airlines are worried about the long-term impact late flights will have on their budgets and on fliers. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson)

WASHINGTON (AP) ? Congress hurried to approve legislation Friday that will end the furloughs of air traffic controllers that have delayed hundreds of flights daily, infuriating travelers and causing political headaches for lawmakers.

The House approved the measure on a 361-41 vote, a day after the Senate agreed to the bill. Friday's vote came as lawmakers prepared to leave town for a weeklong spring recess, a break that would have been less pleasant if they were confronted by constituents upset over travel delays.

Republicans accused the Obama administration of purposely furloughing controllers to pressure Congress to replace $85 billion in across-the-board spending cuts ? known as the sequester ? that took effect last month at government agencies.

"The administration has played shameful politics with the sequester at the cost of hard-working American families," said Rep. Tom Latham, R-Iowa.

The White House and Democrats have argued that by law, the administration has little room to decide where the cuts fall. They want Congress to work on legislation lifting all of the cuts, which lawmakers noted have also caused reductions in Head Start preschool programs, benefits for the long-term unemployed and medical research.

White House press secretary Jay Carney said the president would sign the new bill, but he added, "The problem is this is just a Band-Aid solution."

During House debate, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., had a similar complaint.

"How can we sit there and say, 'Four million Meals on Wheels for seniors, gone, but that's not important. Over 70,000 children off Head Start, but that's not important," Pelosi said.

The Federal Aviation Administration has furloughed the controllers as part of the government-wide reductions. The bill would let the FAA use up to $253 million from airport improvement and other accounts to end the furloughs through the Sept. 30 end of the federal fiscal year.

In addition to restoring full staffing by controllers, the available funds can be used for other FAA operations, including preventing the closure of small airport towers around the country. The FAA had said it would shut the facilities to meet its share of the spending cuts.

The FAA said there had been at least 863 flights delayed on Wednesday "attributable to staffing reductions resulting from the furlough."

Administration officials participated in the negotiations that led to the deal and evidently registered no objections.

Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, a key participant in the talks, said the legislation would "prevent what otherwise would have been intolerable delays in the air travel system, inconveniencing travelers and hurting the economy."

Senate approval Thursday night followed several hours of pressure-filled, closed-door negotiations, and came after most senators had departed the Capitol on the assumption that the talks had fallen short.

For the White House and Senate Democrats, the discussions on legislation relating to one relatively small slice of the $85 billion in spending cuts marked a shift in position in a long-running struggle with Republicans over budget issues. Similarly, the turn of events marked at least modest vindication of a decision by the House GOP last winter to finesse some budget struggles in order to focus public attention on the across-the-board cuts in hopes they would gain leverage over President Barack Obama.

The Professional Aviation Safety Specialists, a union that represents FAA employees, reported a number of incidents it said were due to the furloughs.

In one case, it said several flights headed for Long Island MacArthur Airport in New York were diverted on Wednesday when a piece of equipment failed. "While the policy for this equipment is immediate restoral, due to sequestration and furloughs it was changed to next-day restoral," the union said.

The airlines, too, had pressed Congress to restore the FAA to full staffing.

In an interview Wednesday, Robert Isom, chief operations officer of US Airways, said, "In the airline business, you try to eliminate uncertainty. Some factors you can't control, like weather. It (the FAA issue) is worse than the weather."

In a shift, first the White House and then senior Democratic lawmakers signaled a willingness in the past two days to support legislation that alleviates the budget crunch at the FAA, while leaving the balance of the $85 billion to remain in effect.

Obama favors a comprehensive agreement that replaces the entire $85 billion in across-the-board cuts as part of a broader deficit-reduction deal that includes higher taxes and spending cuts.

Officials estimate it would cost slightly more than $200 million to restore air traffic controllers to full staffing, and an additional $50 million to keep open smaller air traffic towers around the country that the FAA has proposed closing.

___

Associated Press writers Joan Lowy, Henry C. Jackson and Alan Fram in Washington and David Koenig in Dallas contributed to this report.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/89ae8247abe8493fae24405546e9a1aa/Article_2013-04-26-FAA-Furloughs/id-d8f3819bfe2e4e38abc04559a512ea25

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After brain injury, new astrocytes play unexpected role in healing

Apr. 24, 2013 ? The production of a certain kind of brain cell that had been considered an impediment to healing may actually be needed to staunch bleeding and promote repair after a stroke or head trauma, researchers at Duke Medicine report.

These cells, known as astrocytes, can be produced from stem cells in the brain after injury. They migrate to the site of damage where they are much more effective in promoting recovery than previously thought. This insight from studies in mice, reported online April 24, 2013, in the journal Nature, may help researchers develop treatments that foster brain repair.

"The injury recovery process is complex," said senior author Chay T. Kuo, M.D., PhD, George W. Brumley Assistant Professor of Cell Biology, Pediatrics and Neurobiology at Duke University. "There is a lot of interest in how new neurons can stimulate functional recovery, but if you make neurons without stopping the bleeding, the neurons don't even get a chance. The brain somehow knows this, so we believe that's why it produces these unique astrocytes in response to injury."

Each year, more than 1.7 million people in the United States suffer a traumatic brain injury, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Another 795,000 people a year suffer a stroke. Few therapies are available to treat the damage that often results from such injuries.

Kuo and colleagues at Duke are interested in replacing lost neurons after a brain injury as a way to restore function. Once damaged, mature neurons cannot multiply, so most research efforts have focused on inducing brain stem cells to produce more immature neurons to replace them.

This strategy has proved difficult, because in addition to making neurons, neural stem cells also produce astrocytes and oligodendrocytes, known as glial cells. Although glial cells are important for maintaining the normal function of neurons in the brain, the increased production of astrocytes from neural stem cell has been considered an unwanted byproduct, causing more harm than good. Proliferating astrocytes secrete proteins that can induce tissue inflammation and undergo gene mutations that can lead to aggressive brain tumors.

In their study of mice, the Duke team found an unexpected insight about the astrocytes produced from stem cells after injury. Stem cells live in a special area or "niche" in the postnatal/adult brain called the subventricular zone, and churn out neurons and glia in the right proportions based on cues from the surrounding tissue.

After an injury, however, the subventricular niche pumps out more astrocytes. Significantly, the Duke team found they are different from astrocytes produced in most other regions of the brain. These cells make their way to the injured area to help make an organized scar, which stops the bleeding and allows tissue recovery.

When the generation of these astrocytes in the subventricular niche was experimentally blocked after a brain injury, hemorrhaging occurred around the injured areas and the region did not heal. Kuo said the finding was made possible by insights about astrocytes from Cagla Eroglu, PhD, whose laboratory next door to Kuo's conducts research on astrocyte interactions with neurons.

"Cagla and I started at Duke together and have known each other since our postdoctoral days," Kuo said. "To have these stem cell-made astrocytes express a unique protein that Cagla understands more than anyone else, it's just a wonderful example of scientific serendipity and collaboration."

Additionally, Kuo said first author Eric J. Benner, M.D., PhD, a former postdoctoral fellow who now has his own laboratory at Duke, provided key clinical correlations on brain injury as a physician-scientist and practicing neonatologist in the Jean and George Brumley Jr. Neonatal-Perinatal Research Institute.

"We are very excited about this innate flexibility in neural stem cell behavior to know just what to do to help the brain after injury," Kuo said. "Since bleeding in the brain after injury is a common and serious problem for patients, further research into this area may lead to effective therapies for accelerated brain recovery after injury."

In addition to Kuo, Eroglu and Benner, authors include Dominic Luciano, Rebecca Jo, Khadar Abdi, Patricia Paez-Gonzalez, Huaxin Sheng, David Warner and Chunlei Liu.

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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Duke University Medical Center.

Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.

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Journal Reference:

1. Eric J. Benner, Dominic Luciano, Rebecca Jo, Khadar Abdi, Patricia Paez-Gonzalez, Huaxin Sheng, David S. Warner, Chunlei Liu, Cagla Eroglu, Chay T. Kuo. Protective astrogenesis from the SVZ niche after injury is controlled by Notch modulator Thbs4. Nature, 2013; DOI: 10.1038/nature12069

Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.

Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/most_popular/~3/zIrBOIqCR0I/130424132707.htm

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3M cuts 2013 outlook on falling electronics demand

By Ernest Scheyder

(Reuters) - Diversified U.S. manufacturer 3M Co cut its 2013 profit forecast on Thursday, citing weakening demand for electronics products as well as foreign currency fluctuations.

The lowered outlook came after first-quarter profit and revenue both missed Wall Street expectations.

3M, which makes a range of products from Post-It notes to films used in television screens, blamed falling sales in its consumer electronics segment.

Executives had expected weak demand for electronic insulation, computer touch screen materials as well as fluids used to make computer chips, but they said actual sales were worse than feared.

"We expected a challenging start to the year, but in fact market conditions were tougher than we had expected," Chief Executive Inge Thulin said on a conference call with investors.

While a 56 percent drop in pension payments boosted first-quarter margins, analysts were wary as margin strength wasn't more reliant on higher sales.

Additionally, the company changed its reporting segments on January 1, making it difficult for analysts to compare performance to prior years and track results, William Blair & Co analyst Nick Heymann said.

"This is a little more complex than normal," Heymann said.

3M now expects to earn $6.60 to $6.85 per share this year, a range mostly below the $6.82 average analyst estimate, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S.

3M previously had expected to earn $6.70 to $6.95 per share this year.

Also, the rising value of the U.S. dollar compared to other global currencies harmed results, executives said. Before, the company had not expected foreign currency changes to harm 2013 results, but now it was seen cutting revenue by 1.5 percent.

Its stock dropped 3.5 percent to $104.09 in mid-morning trading. It has gained about 16 percent this year, outpacing the Dow Jones industrial average's roughly 12 percent rise.

REVENUE RISES

St. Paul, Minnesota-based 3M posted first-quarter profit of $1.13 billion, or $1.61 per share, compared with $1.13 billion, or $1.59 per share, in the year-earlier period.

Profit per share missed analysts' estimates of $1.65. The number of outstanding shares fell, boosting the most recent earnings per share.

Revenue rose 2 percent to $7.63 billion, missing the $7.81 billion estimate from analysts.

Thulin, who took the top job last year, began a restructuring in January. He merged 3M's security and traffic-safety units, eliminating about 300 jobs, and identified other units that 3M would need to fix, sell or close.

Thulin has said 3M needs to prune its broad portfolio of products, and likely to focus on fewer but larger takeovers.

(Reporting by Ernest Scheyder; Editing by Gerald E. McCormick, Maureen Bavdek and Jeffrey Benkoe)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/3m-quarterly-profit-slightly-2013-outlook-cut-115703087--sector.html

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A Look Inside Afghanistan's Almost-Apple Store

Fake Apple stores are nothing new. China has a slew of them, all polished and shiny, appearing almost as if they are the genuine article at a glance. Quartz dug up some details on Afghanistan's (fake) Apple store, and though it's a bit more frumpy than most, it still gets the job done. More »

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/lD-74FUd0XE/a-look-inside-afghanistans-almost+apple-store

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Twitter co-founder says more techy leaders needed

NEW YORK (AP) ? Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey thinks there needs to be more leaders who understand how to use technology.

Speaking at a New York City campaign event for a local political hopeful Wednesday, Dorsey said more leaders are needed who get technology and know how to use it.

He says technology can change governments, not just disrupt them.

The billionaire entrepreneur behind the popular social media service has hinted he may one day want to be mayor of New York. In an interview aired on CBS' "60 Minutes" last month, correspondent Lara Logan said Dorsey is serious about moving to the Big Apple someday and running for mayor.

Dorsey did not take any questions after addressing the crowd that gathered in support of public advocate candidate Reshma Saujani (RUHSH'-muh sow-JAHN'-ee).

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/495d344a0d10421e9baa8ee77029cfbd/Article_2013-04-24-Twitter%20Co-Founder-Politics/id-4d4abb42adc44258af641775e525ce86

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Senate duo dials back anti-big bank proposal

By Douwe Miedema

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Legislation to force U.S. banks to drastically raise their capital buffers - a proposal that has been criticized as a veiled attempt to break up the biggest banks - was presented in a slightly weakened form by two senators on Wednesday.

The two, Sherrod Brown, an Ohio Democrat, and David Vitter, a Louisiana Republican, want to ditch a global accord on capital standards known as Basel III and put more straightforward caps on how much banks can borrow.

The bill, which adds to a rising chorus of big-bank critics in Washington even if it stands little chance of getting adopted, requires banks with more than $500 billion in assets to have at least 15 percent of shareholder equity.

In a draft proposal, Brown and Vitter had set a minimum capital ratio of 10 percent for all banks, but the final text of the bill lowered that to 8 percent for those banks with more than $50 billion in assets.

Bank regulators could set the capital ratio for banks that were even smaller, the bill said.

"This is a bank break-up proposal," said Tony Fratto, who works at consulting firm Hamilton Place Strategies. "Mandating new and punitive capital charges, and walking away from international agreements ... is misguided."

The debate about whether Washington has done enough to stave off the risk of a taxpayer bailout of Wall Street has heated up in recent weeks, with politicians and even some regulators calling to do more to prevent the next crisis.

Basel III calls on banks to hold up to 13 percent of capital, but that level is determined based on the riskiness of assets, making it far less demanding than the Brown-Vitter proposal.

Many lawmakers, banks and regulators have also criticized the Basel approach as too complicated.

There is little chance of political consensus on any plan to carve up banks such as JPMorgan Chase, Citigroup or Bank of America, though another major mishap at one of these banks might change that.

The Senate last month approved a largely symbolic measure to eliminate a "subsidy" banks receive in the form of cheaper borrowing, because markets assume that governments will always bail them out if they land in trouble.

Small banks grouped together in the Independent Community Bankers of America (ICBA) welcomed the law, which also provides relief for small banks from a range of other rules that have been written after the financial crisis.

Representative Jeb Hensarling - a Texas Republican who chairs the influential House Financial Services Committee - equally promised small banks relief from the increasing regulatory burden at an ICBA conference on Wednesday.

Democrats and Republicans in the committee were negotiating about a "bipartisan regulatory relief bill", Hensarling said. He declined to say what would be in the bill.

(Reporting by Douwe Miedema; Editing by Steve Ortlofsky)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/senate-duo-dials-back-anti-big-bank-proposal-225710549--sector.html

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Nicole Kidman and Ang Lee join starry Cannes jury

PARIS (AP) ? The Cannes Film Festival says Oscar winners Nicole Kidman, Christopher Waltz and Ang Lee will join this year's competition jury.

Steven Spielberg will lead 2013's jury that will also include Romanian director Cristian Mungiu, who won the festival's prize for best screenplay in 2012 for "Beyond The Hills," French actor Daniel Auteuil, Indian actress Vidya Balan, Scottish director Lynne Ramsay and Japanese director Naomi Kawase, according to a statement published Wednesday.

They'll decide which of the 19 films in competition will win the coveted Palme d'Or award on May 26, the French Riviera festival's top accolade.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/nicole-kidman-ang-lee-join-starry-cannes-jury-131817094.html

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